Prior to moving aboard a boat, Ron Coalson was the president of a company in North Dakota and lived in a giant house. One day, he realized that he and his wife were owned by their possessions. They started giving things away and every year they would go to the Annapolis Boat Show, until they found their 44. “We started living aboard and we both loved it.”
Soon enough, they wanted something faster in the 45ft range. At the time, Ferenc Máté’s book, The World’s Best Sailboats, featured a large advertisement on the Beneteau First 42. “We knew this would be the boat. We saw the boat in the marina and inquired if it was for sale, which it was…” And the rest was history.
The Coalsons purchased their 1986 Beneteau First 42 in November 1992 and moved in. By 1993, Ron had started racing on a one-design 35 footer that they owned, at the age of 50.
Today, Ron, past Rear Commodore of the Cortez Racing Association, is the proud owner of a Beneteau First 44.7, named “French Bred.”